NATCHEZ &8212; Views on abortion rights nationally fluctuate over time, and recently, a trend toward the pro-life stance has been growing, some say.

Closer to home, protestors who disagree with abortion gathered in Jackson in July. Louisiana recently passed a ban on abortion that would go into affect should the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Roe v. Wade ever be overturned.

Even at a local level, pro-life supporters gather and try to spread their messages.

One group, Natchez-Adams County Pro-Life, is made up of members from several different denominations.

&8220;We have no particular doctrine. We&8217;re across the board,&8221; Co-Chairwoman Virginia O&8217;Beirne said.

The group started about six months ago, she said.

&8220;A few of us talked about it. We met a few times, discussed what direction we could go in. This is what we came up with,&8221; she said.

They meet at a different church about every six weeks to discuss issues and listen to guest speakers. Attendance at the meetings can be anywhere from 20 to 50, O&8217;Beirne said.

The group has members from churches across the city, including the First Assembly of God, St. Mary Basilica, Parkway Baptist Church and First United Pentecostal, among others.

&8220;We see this as an issue that crosses denominational lines, particularly those of us who are strong believers in the sanctity of life,&8221; Co-Chairwoman Ruth Powers said. &8220;It&8217;s important that we are not seen as an arm of a particular denomination.&8221;

The group has representatives from about seven area churches, Powers said.

Unlike some pro-life groups, she said, they try to take a calmer approach when spreading the message.

&8220;We try to approach it factually to make a point,&8221; Powers said. &8220;We&8217;re not a group that&8217;s into shock value.&8221;

They also encourage donation to organizations like Catholic Charities that can help children once they are born, she said.

Among the group&8217;s goals are educating people about the issues and learning about legislation that affects it and calling representatives to try to change it, she said.

They already set up tables and displays at gatherings around town, and O&8217;Beirne said she would like to see the group form a crisis center for pregnant women to show them alternatives to abortion.

&8220;All it would take is for somebody to let us have a room somewhere in an office building,&8221; she said. &8220;We could open a telephone line and staff it with a volunteer to offer counseling and advice.&8221;

Elizabeth Nations, a member of Natchez-Adams County Pro-Life and the First Assembly of God, said being active in such a group was something she had wanted to do for a long time.

&8220;We all love children,&8221; Bolyer said. &8220;People don&8217;t realize what they&8217;re doing. We&8217;re all supposed to love each other and help each other.&8221;

Angela Wagoner, a member of Parkway Baptist Church, said she had been to three or four meetings.

&8220;I got interested because I do Virginia&8217;s hair, and we got talking about issues,&8221; Wagoner said. &8220;I&8217;m a true believer that abortion is murder.&8221;

While many area residents support banning abortions, there are some who would like to keep the choice the law currently provides.

&8220;I think the biggest reason I am pro-choice is that it is my body, and I guess I don&8217;t want the government meddling with it,&8221; said Casey Hughes, a Natchez resident. &8220;It&8217;s a choice between me, my doctor and my God to make those decisions.&8221;

Hughes said she thought there should be regulations on abortions but that they should remain legal, for safety if for nothing else. If they are not legal, they cannot be regulated, she said.

&8220;I&8217;m old enough to have lived before it was legal. I had a very good friend who died from an illegal abortion, and I think that had a major affect on me.

&8220;People are going to have them. They have forever. The whole purpose of pro-choice was to make them safe and legal for women.&8221;

Mary Jane Reed Gaudet, another Natchez resident, said she has always thought that life began at conception. She used to give talks on abortion and what abortion did, she said. She also worked with cases where there was rape and incest.

&8220;Suppose someone raped my child,&8221; Gaudet said. &8220;What if my child had to carry that child to term? I didn&8217;t agree with that.&8221;

Gaudet said she believes abortion should never be used unless it is a case of rape, incest, or the health of the mother.

&8220;I do not believe in abortion as an easy way,&8221; she said. &8220;We have to respect life. But these are serious issues.

&8220;When I was young, I had a lot of beliefs. Everything was black and white. But as time goes on, things have blurred.&8221;